LightDarkness
by Doubleplusgoodduckspeaker
Summary: Forever lived in light, and His spirit would never die. There is light in my heart because of you. Scandalshipping AtemxSeth.


Title: Light/Darkness

Author: Doubleplusgoodduckspeaker

Summary: Forever lived in light, and His spirit would never die. There is light in my heart because of you. Scandalshipping AtemxSeth.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Notes: Written for Round Seven of Compy's YGO Contest. _Seven!_ This is similar in style to other pieces I've written, but the added bonus is that everything in here /should/ be accurate. I study archaeology, this semester of the Egyptian variety, so shame on me if I don't get things right. Also, if you know the series, "Set" acts much differently than Seto; he has this nearly religious devotion to the Pharaoh—that's the angle I'm working here.

* * *

The forge burned bright that night in Kul Elna.

Such promise, such hope.

_Such lies_.

Dark, deceptive, they poisoned the brain. He loved it. He lived for it. The world would cower in fear as **they** took the power, darkness within darkness, with one quick breath they would snuff out the light.

Everything would go according to plan. However…

Light is a very persistent thing.

--

_Light__**/**_**Darkness**

**--**

The palace was in chaos.

It was dark, so very dark, but when he looked around all he could see was burning.

The villages blazed and so they ran to the palace, seeking refuge here. They had such hope, such trust in their Pharaoh. It was their hope that burned bright in this dark night.

As Set led the charge he shared their hope. Fight for survival, there was no other option. The other high priests had already fallen to the shadows, and they would be trapped forever if darkness were allowed to prevail. They would all be trapped. As long as he still drew air into his lungs, he would never let that happen. There was such turmoil around them, yet so much had been revealed to him. He learned he had a father, a royal cousin…

It was for _him_ that he fought.

Just as Akunumkanon sacrificed himself to protect the favor of his son, so would Set fight to preserve the light that was tarnished by the acts of his father. He was no traitor. He'd rather be a peasant in a world shining with hope, than a king in a world contaminated by darkness. His father was a fool to think that he wanted the throne for himself, if that happened then—

It would truly be a world of darkness if it was a world without his Pharaoh.

The pharaoh collapsed as the three Egyptian gods were destroyed and the land was covered in darkness once more. Looking down at him, wounded, gasping for air, Set knew what had to be done.

_He was one of seven, chosen to guard and counsel the pharaoh. He was young then, and spent much time around the pharaoh's young son. At the time, he thought he did not have the strength to truly lead the people of Egypt, one would have to know their people to lead them, but now, he had no doubt. His pharaoh was courageous and would place the safety of his people above his own. Not only did Set respect his pharaoh, he admired him_.

As he charged on the monster, onto Darkness itself, all he could think about was _him_. If he was to be sacrificed, so be it, for he knew that it would not be in vain. His pharaoh would prevail, and as his dragon released its attack, for one breathtaking moment the sun shone again.

Set fell forward, his powers drained, and his last thought before he closed his eyes is _let there be light_.

--

--

Knowledge _is_ light.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

--

--

There were a great many things to repair afterwards.

More importantly, there were people alive and well to repair them.

Set watched as the people picked up their lives, brick by brick and wondered, not for the first time, what would happen next. "The future of Egypt is bright."

The man at his side nodded. "It will be. Come, I must ask you something. You are my most loyal high priest, and I greatly value your judgment." Without a word Set turned and walked along the colonnaded court with the Pharaoh. They arrived at the stable ground, and harnessing two horses they rode beyond the alluvial plain to the high grounds of the desert. They could see stepped pyramids rising all around them, and Set recognized one as the tomb of Akunumkanon. They stopped at one adjacent, its mud-brick walls still under construction.

Inside it was cool, hidden from the suns rays. They walked down the burial shaft in silence, the only sound coming from the puzzle around the pharaoh's neck; _thump, thump, thump_ with each successive step. They passed several more chambers until they stopped in the largest one of all.

"Pharaoh… what is it you require of me?" The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he couldn't help but think that, as both of them had entered; only one of them would return.

"We have just defeated a great evil, and for now our Kingdom is spared from the darkness," he mused, eyes downcast and sorrowful. "Who knows how long that will last? I was able to seal Zorc up within the stone tablet at Kul Elna using my name as the key. Now, I must take steps to make sure that it will never be allowed into this world again."

Set, ever the voice of reason, nodded his head. "The dark forces which summoned Zorc to this world will never stop trying. Now, there is light, but darkness is always present, just as our shadows walk the earth beside us."

"It is my responsibility to ensure the safety of this world, Set. I plan to seal my spirit into the Millennium Puzzle, so that if darkness were to rise again I would be able to stop it, once and for all."

Set took a step back, shock etched into his features. "My pharaoh, you don't have to do this! My spirit can live inside my Item; you must let me take on this burden! You are our pharaoh!"

A sad, sad, smile, as if he could see the rest of his life as clearly as through the waters of the Nile. It was cruel to cut it short, but in doing so, he would live on. The pharaoh knew he would be needed in the future. "That is why I am leaving the Kingdom of Egypt to you, Set. I know that you will make a just and good pharaoh. Trust in your heart. I can see the light there."

"Don't do this," Set protested, but he had known the pharaoh long enough to know that nothing he could say would dissuade him. _There is light in my heart because of you_.

"I can use my power as pharaoh to seal away my own spirit, but I must ask something of you. It is why I brought you here. I need you to use your Millennium Rod to also seal away my memories."

"No!" _Why!?_

"If my name is the key, I can't take the chance that anyone would use it for malicious purposes. You must erase my memories so that Zorc may stay in the shadow realm forever."

"I can't!"

Loudly, thunderously, it filled the cavern. "You must!"

"Atem—"

_He_ turned, surprised, and his lips parted into a sad smile. "I may forget my name, my past, everything, but it is the people in my life that I will miss the most. I wish I had more time. Set, before I go, I'm afraid I must ask you for one final request."

"I can deny you nothing, pharaoh."

There was that smile, again, accompanied by a sad shimmer in his eyes. "If I am to forget my memories, let me make my last one something worth remembering again." He leaned in closer to Set, closing his eyes as his lips melded to Set's and his whole world exploded in light.

The pharaoh pulled away as if the action itself would tear out a part of him. He was traveling to the puzzle without memories, but he would leave his heart here also. He was leaving everything in good hands. "It is time, Set. Goodbye."

"Atem!" Set let the name fall, one last time, as both Items began to glow. Light burst forth, and soon in the gilded chamber it became too much for him to bear, and his eyes closed.

He opened them, blinked twice, and found that he was alone in the chamber.

Alone as he had never felt before.

Set gently, reverently picked up the puzzle which had fallen onto the ground. There was a box in the chamber, it would hold the Item until such a time was necessary. Until the world was in danger of darkness again. As he left, Set promised to secure the chamber against thieves by devising several traps to make sure that only the worthy would ever enter. He exited the pyramid complex and leapt onto his horse, riding back to the palace, the pharaoh's face forever engrained into his memory.

The pharaoh was gone.

The pharaoh was _him_.

--

When the sun rose one morning it was like the world had forgotten how close it had come to falling into darkness. **They** brought it to the edge and he looked over, face-to-face with the shadows, and was pulled back just in time.

Atem had saved them all.

Where everyone else had faced the darkness and had been defeated, he was able to summon the incarnation of light; a power only given to light in human form, the pharaoh—

Horus had Set under his wing as well.

"Pharaoh," some mumbled, eyes always downcast. Some said nothing at all; everyone remained three steps behind. In such a short amount of time there had been such change. An Item for a Crown. Looking out over the landscape, how the lush silt of the alluvium led into the desert sands where his true home lay just beyond the horizon, he couldn't help but think that nothing had changed. They were all still here. The Nile was still here, the sun rose and fell in the sky without fail. The one thing missing was _him_.

Everything had changed.

As he approached the chamber, he was glad it was empty. He had told them that he would be the one to feed the pharaoh's ka. It was his will, they dared not argue. The room was elegantly decorated with scenes of the Nile, of the hunt, of the conflict that had almost purged the world of all light…

In all paintings the pharaoh was the victor. Looking at them, he couldn't help but think about what could have befallen them. It plagued his mind. He could never forget the monster Zorc, his lumbering form as he approached the palace walls; the weight of so many people, he had to protect them…

He had to protect one. In the end, he wasn't even able to do that.

He didn't even think of himself as the Pharaoh, as Horus, as the guardian of the Nile, as _he which giveth and taketh away_—that was still Atem. And every time he completed the ritual, he knew with a sureness so concrete it drove every breath that he would continue to be. Although he was gone he would continue to live on, the sun would rise and fall but Forever…

Forever lived in light, and His spirit would never die.

Set approached the serdab and knelt before the opening. Inside was a statue of Atem, carefully placed so that only the eyes would be seen, and carved out of stone. It would last as long as he did, all generations would come to pass and know just who had saved them. But for now, for as long as he lived, this task would fall to him.

Watch see observe notice reflect _remember_—

He would live on, as no one would ever forget him. Set would never forget him. And, as Pharaoh, _he_ too was immortal—each was destined to live on, and as long as this cycle was never broken, not only would they live, but they would meet again.

Set was sure of it. He stood, squinting up at the brightest star in the sky. It seemed that it burned even brighter today.

--

--

--

Millennia later a puzzle was put together and a spirit was called forth into this world.

--

--

How fitting that the first time he manifested was in a virtual stadium, a place where cards could be brought to life. It was so dark, but now, free of the puzzle, he could _see_. The Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle looked around him. He knew at a glance who these people were. He had known them since he had awakened, since the final piece of the puzzle had been put into place.

He had known the man standing across from him far longer.

It _was_ Seto, he knew that, but somehow he looked so familiar; it shocked him. He felt like he was supposed to remember, _why couldn't he remember?_

"I play swords of revealing light!"

Light illuminated the arena and the Spirit could see his opponent (how familiar his eyes looked, narrowed, confident) and could see the darkness within him. What had happened to the man he knew? This man's heart was in the shadows, twisted and cruel. _The man I… (respected?admired?lo—)knew is in there somewhere, I must free him_!

The bonds of friendship are strong but pale beside the pull that the strings of the heart command. To set him free, he knew that he had to defeat Seto. As he pulled the final card from his deck, his thoughts were not on his friends, but rather on saving his opponent. In the heart of the cards there is power, but the heart of a person—

All things are possible, and the rarest of monsters may be brought to Life.

His dragons disappeared in a shower of light as the tally of his life points winded down. At that moment, it didn't matter who won or lost. What mattered was balance, and despite what little he knew about himself, he was certain that things would soon be set right. Seto's heart was not one of darkness; that much he knew.

_You, who have done so much for me; let me do what I can_. "**Mind Crush!**"

In the shattered silence the Spirit looked on and for a moment he could have sworn that in Seto's place stood a not-so-different man, regal and tall, extending his hand towards him.

He was glad to relinquish control and return to his own labyrinth. Within its stone walls, far away from anyone else, he could contemplate what had just happened. He entered the farthest chambers of his mind, searching for clues to his past, but he found nothing. Somehow, _he_ knew Seto. Yet, Seto had no idea who _he_ was. _He_ didn't have any idea of who he was, either! There were so many missing pieces, and he knew this would be a harder task than simply putting together a puzzle.

The Spirit of the Puzzle didn't know much, but he wanted to see Seto again.

* * *

_Please review?_ Just watched some AE episodes and gosh, this show is anachronistic but highly entertaining :) They mention 5000 years ago Zorc came to Ancient Egypt? Yeah, it wasn't really unified "Egypt" yet then… good job. Still, _thank you for reading_!


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